This is my favourite time of the year. Fresh veggies from the garden, fresh fruit from the trees, bushes and fields.

I have been the lucky recipient of over 32 cups of local Saskatoons. I think I love these little bluish-coloured berries even more than blueberries.

The are known as a prairie fruit and can be quite hard to find! I’ve posted about them before (and I promise this is my last Saskatoon recipe of the season… for now) and I’ve had many comments from readers who have never heard of them or tried them (which makes me sad… these are tasty!!).

So far I’ve made Saskatoon Jam, Saskatoon Chutney and a Saskatoon berry and lemon curd pie!

For my last trick – a Saskatoon Lemon Pound Cake/Cupcake recipe.

This recipe was inspired by a recipe I found in The Prairie Fruit Cookbook. I’ve made a few modifications – based on this recipe and a family recipe, and also found that it is very tasty as a cupcake!

I have really enjoyed the recipes and all the information in Getty Stewart’s Prairie Fruit Cookbook. Talk about a wealth of information! And Getty’s local!! I even messaged her a picture of a fruit tree I came across on the way to work one day to ask for her help in identifying if the berries were edible! (They were by the way – mmm… chokecherries!)

Saskatoon Lemon Pound Cake/Cupcakes

1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of canola oil
4 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla extract
2/3 cup of buttermilk (homemade – 1/2 cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice)
2 cups of Saskatoon berries
2 cups of flour
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, add in the milk and lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Beat together sugar and canola oil in a large bowl until fully mixed. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add in “buttermilk,” and vanilla extract. Mix till everything is combined.

Add in flour and Saskatoons, as well as baking powder and salt. Mix just until all the ingredients are together.

For cake: Line a bread pan with parchment paper. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour. Test and bake for 15 minutes more if necessary. If your cake starts to get too brown on top, cover with more parchment.

For cupcakes: Line a 12 cupcake pan with liners. Spoon in batter to just 2/3 full for each cupcake. Bake for 20 minutes. Test and cook at 5 minute intervals till fully cooked through.

Lemon Glaze

While the cakes and cupcakes are baking, mix together 1 cup of icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. When the cakes and cupcakes come out of the oven, set on a cooking rack and then immediately spoon the glaze over top. It will be running up it will also soak in a bit and then crust over as the cakes and cupcakes cool down.

Enjoy!